Releasable signpost receptacle

ABSTRACT

This disclosure concerns a signpost base receptacle for releasably mounting a signpost in a concrete pad. The receptacle is substantially larger than the base of the signpost and is recessed in a concrete pad with its top substantially flush with ground level. A rotatable shaft is disposed vertically in the receptacle adjacent one wall and a pair of cams are eccentrically mounted on the shaft intermediate its ends. Upon rotation of the shaft the cams are disposed to engage a movable clamping plate removably disposed in the receptacle. The base of the signpost is placed in the receptacle between one wall and the clamping plate and secured by rotating the shaft to cause the eccentric cams to engage the clamping plate and drive it against the signpost base, clamping the base between the plate and an opposite wall. A releasable rachet is provided on the shaft to hold the cams against the clamping plate until release of the signpost base is desired. The receptacle is rectangular but can be adapted to accept other than rectangular signpost bases by merely providing shape adapter plates around the base.

United States Patent 1 1 Ortega 14 1 Oct. 2, 1973 1 RELEASABLE SIGNPOST RECEPTACLE Henry S. Ortega, 1830 E. Jensen Ave., Fresno, Calif.

[22] Filed: Nov. 8, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 196,523

[76] Inventor:

52 us. C1 ..248/158,52/297,287/20.3,

248/347 [51] Int. Cl ..E02d 27/42 58 Field ofSearch 248/158, 321,346,

248/347; 52/297, 298; 287/203, DIG. 8; 151/10, 12, 47, 48

Primary Examiner-Marion Parsons, Jr. Alt0rneyVergil L. Gerard I ABSTRACT This disclosure concerns a signpost base receptacle for releasably mounting a signpost in a concrete pad. The receptacle is substantially larger than the base of the signpost and is recessed in a concrete pad with its top substantially flush with ground level. A rotatable shaft is disposed vertically in the receptacle adjacent one wall and a pair of cams are eccentrically mounted on the shaft intermediate its ends. Upon rotation of the shaft the cams are disposed to engage a movable clamping plate removably disposed in the receptacle. The base of the signpost is placed in the receptacle between one wall and the clamping plate and secured by rotating the shaft to cause the eccentric cams to engage the clamping plate and drive it against the signpost base, clamping the base between the plate and an opposite wall. A releasable rachet is provided on the shaft to hold the cams against the clamping plate until release of the signpost base is desired. The receptacle is rectangular but can be adapted to accept other than rectangular signpost bases by merely providing shape adapter plates around the base.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEI] [ET 2|975 RELEASABLE SIGNPOST RECEPTACLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to devices for mounting signposts and more particularly to signpost base receptacles in which the signpost base can be releasably secured.

Signposts, by reason of their association with vehicle roadways, are frequently struck by motor vehicles and damaged. To provide adequate mounting for highway and roadways signs or road barrier posts, the base'of the signposts are usually set in a concrete pad. Therefore, when a signpost is damaged or broken, replacement requires breaking out of the concrete pad, removal of the lower end, or base, of the post, setting a new post, and pouring a new pad around its base end, all of which is an expensive and time consuming operation.

As a result, various devices have been developed which releasably secure the base end of a signpost so that when the post is broken or damaged it can be removed from the concrete pad and a new post installed without breaking out and repouring the pad. The devices so far developed have not satisfactorily performed in that some are prone to damage when the signpost itself is damaged or broken, others are too expensive to manufacture or too cumbersome to operate, and still others are unable to adapt to more than one shape of signpost base.

It is, therefore, a major object of my invention to provide an effective signpost base receptacle adapted to releasably secure a signpost base.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a signpost base receptacle of the type described in which a signpost base is clamped into a receptacle by means of eccentric cams on a rotatable shaft.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a signpost base receptacle of the type described in which a signpost base is clamped into a receptacle by means of eccentric cams on a rotatable shaft.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a signpost base receptacle of the type described in which the base engaging portions of the receptacle are adaptable to the contour of the signpost base.

It is still another object of my invention to provide a signpost base receptacle which is economical to manufacture and install, and simple to operate.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective elevational view of a preferred embodiment of my invention with a signpost installed therein;

FIG. 2 is a plan view, partially in section, of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 showing the signpost base in the receptacle;

FIG. 3 is an elevational sectional view taken on line 33 in FlG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view, partially in section, showing a cylindrical support base in the receptacle; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view, partially in section, showing an angular signpost base in the receptacle.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, the numeral designates generally a preferred embodiment of my releasable signpost base receptacle. The receptacle 10 has a generally rectangular housing 12 which is positioned in a con crete pad 14 with its upper portion 16 flush with the upper surface of the pad. The housing 12 has oppositely disposed side walls 18, a first end wall 20 which is positioned opposite a second end wall 22 and is open at the top. Brackets 24 are mounted on the first end wall 20 and project substantially horizontally therefrom, toward the second end wall .20. The brackets 24 rotatably mount a shaft 26 on the first end wall 20 with the axis of the shaft disposed generally vertically. The shaft 26 has wrench surfaces 28 on its upper end to permit engagement and rotation by a socket wrench or similar tool.

Intermediate the points of mounting of the shaft 26 in the brackets 24, a pair of eccentric cams 28 are affixed to the shaft. The cams 28 have cam surfaces 29 extending between their proximal ends 30 and their distal ends 32.

A clamping plate 42 is disposed adjacent the shaft 34 in the housing 12. The clamping plate 42 is spaced from the second end wall 22 a distance sufficient to provide for space for reception of the base end of a signpost into the housing 44. When the signpost base 44 is disposed in the receptacle between the second end wall 22 of the housing 12 and the clamping plate 42, the base 44 is clamped in the receptacle by rotating the shaft 26 to bring the cam surfaces 29 of the earns 28 into contact with the plate 42 and drive the plate against the base 44 as the contact point between the plate and the cams approaches the distal ends 32 of the cams.

To hold the shaft 26 in a fixed position after clamping has been achieved, a rachet mechanism 46 is provided at the upper end of the shaft. The rachet mechanism 46 consists of a ratchet gear 48 affixed to the shaft 26 and a releasable pawl 60 mounted on the upper bracket 24 adjacent the rachet gear. The pawl 50 is disposed to engage the rachet gear 48 and lock the shaft against rotation which would release the pressure of the earns 28 on the plate 42.

After the base 44 of the signpost has been clamped between the second end wall 22 and the clamping plate 42 by rotation of the shaft 26 to drive the cam surfaces 29 of the cams 28 into contact with the plate, the clamping pressure can be released by releasing the pawl 50 from engagement with the rachet gear 48.

If the base 44 of the signpost is other than rectangular, contour adapters are used to adapt the base to the shape of the clamping plate 42 and end wall 22. For instance, if the base of the signpost is cylindrical an end wall adapter 52 with a flat surface for engaging the end wall 22 and a cylindrical surface for engaging one side of the base of the signpost is utilized. The plate, on the other hand, presses on a matching second adapter 54 which is likewise flat on the outerside and contoured cylindrically on the side which engages the signpost base (see FIG. 4). If the signpost is angular, then adapters 56 and 58 which conform to this shape are used, as shown in FIG. 5.

By utilizing sufficient strength in the brackets 24, shaft 26 and earns 28, the operating mechanism of my releasable receptacle 10 can be made sufficiently strong to withstand the impact occurring upon damaging or breaking of a signpost. At the same time, the releasable receptacle can be made sufficiently inexpensively to justify its use. This is possible because the original installation is little if any more costly than the original installation of a signpost in a poured concrete pad,

yet the second installation, if one should become necessary, results in considerable savings.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing detailed description of the preferred embodiment of my invention that I have provided a releasable receptacle for a signpost base which is capable of attaining the objects and achieving the advantages attributed to it.

1 claim:

1. A receptacle for a signpost base comprising:

a receptacle housing disposed in a support surface and having a bottom, a first wall, and a second wall, said walls being oppositely disposed and substantially vertical;

a movable wall disposed in said housing between said oppositely disposed walls and defining between said movable wall and said second wall a base receiving compartment of proper size andconfiguration to receive said signpost base, and defining between said movable wall and said first wall a clamping compartment of proper size and configuration to contain a clamping mechanism; and

a clamping mechanism disposed in said clamping compartment and having a generally vertical shaft rotatably mounted on a wall thereof, and cam means drivingly interconnected with said shaft and disposed to engage and move said movable wall toward said second wall a distance sufficient to clamp said signpost base in said base receiving compartment between said second wall and said movable wall, upon rotation of said shaft in a first direction, and to release said signpost base upon rotation of said shaft in the opposite direction.

2. A receptacle for a signpost base as described in 5 claim 1, in which:

said clamping mechanism includes one way clutch means operatively associated with said shaft and disposed to releasably lock said shaft against rotation in one direction, said shaft is rotatably mounted on said first wall and has engagement surfaces in its upper end disposed for engagement to rotate said shaft, and said cam means include a pair of cams eccentrically mounted in spaced relationship on said shaft and disposed to engage and move said movable wall toward said second wall upon rotation of said shaft in said first direction.

3. A receptacle for signpost base as described in claim 2, which further includes:

shape adapters operatively associated with said second wall and said movable wall, and having engaging surfaces disposed to engage said signpost base which conform to the size and configuration thereof.

4. A receptacle for a signpost base as described in claim 1, in which:

said movable wall has substantially the same size and shape as said first wall and is movably supported on said receptacle bottom. 

1. A receptacle for a signpost base comprising: a receptacle housing disposed in a support surface and having a bottom, a first wall, and a second wall, said walls being oppositely disposed and substantially vertical; a movable wall disposed in said housing between said oppositely disposed walls and defining between said movable wall and said second wall a base receiving compartment of proper size and configuration to receive said signpost base, and defining between said movable wall and said first wall a clamping compartment of proper size and configuration to contain a clamping mechanism; and a clamping mechanism disposed in said clamping compartment and having a generally vertical shaft rotatably mounted on a wall thereof, and cam means drivingly interconnected with said shaft and disposed to engage and move said movable wall toward said second wall a distance sufficient to clamp said signpost base in said base receiving compartment between said second wall and said movable wall, upon rotation of said shaft in a first direction, and to release said signpost base upon rotation of said shaft in the opposite direction.
 2. A receptacle for a signpost base as described in claim 1, in which: said clamping mechanism includes one way clutch means operatively associated with said shaft and disposed to releasably lock said shaft against rotation in one direction, said shaft is rotatably mounted on said first wall and has engagement surfaces in its upper end disposed for engagement to rotate said shaft, and said cam means include a pair of cams eccentrically mounted in spaced relationship on said shaft and disposed to engage and move said movable wall toward said second wall upon rotation of said shaft in said first direction.
 3. A receptacle for signpost base as described in claim 2, which further includes: shape adapters operatively associated with said second wall and said movable wall, and having engaging surfaces disposed to engage said signpost base which conform to the size and configuration thereof.
 4. A receptacle for a signpost base as described in claim 1, in which: said movable wall has substantially the same size and shape as said first wall and is movably supported on said receptacle bottom. 